Direct Benefit Transfer during COVID-19 lockdown by Controller General of Accounts

NEW DELHI: More than Rs 36,659 crore has been transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries during COVID 2019 lockdown by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) office ,Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

DBT ensures that the cash benefit is directly credited into the account of the beneficiary, eliminates leakage and improves efficiency. The aforesaid cash amount has been transferred by using robust digital payments technology PFMS (Public Financial Management System) for making DBT payments under Central Schemes (CS) /Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) /CASP schemes.

HIGHLIGHTS

(i) More than Rs 36,659 crores ( Rs. 27,442 crores [Centrally sponsored Scheme (CSS)+ Central Sector Schemes (CS)] + Rs. 9,717 [State Government] ) transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries (11.42 crores [CSS/CS] + 4.59 crores [State]) during COVID-2019 lockdown (March 24, 2020 till April 17, 2020).

(ii) Cash Benefits announced under Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojna Package also being transferred by using DBT Digital Payment Infrastructure. Rs 500 each was credited in the women account holder of Jan- Dhan accounts. Till April 13, 2020, the total number of women beneficiaries were 19.86 crores, which resulted in disbursement of Rs 9,930 crores (as per data of the Department of Financial Services).

(iii) PFMS usage for DBT Payments increased over the last three Financial Years (FY) with Total DBT amount disbursed increased from 22% in FY 2018-19 to 45% in FY 2019-20. (PIB)

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